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She worked through the first room of twenty in just a couple of hours, working on dryads and faerie folk, along with a few elves. It was just a trickle of energy per patient, but she eventually felt fatigue begin to steal over her. She knew, though, it was good for her to be exercising her yellow energy. It meant that in the future she could have a larger store of the energy. She pushed herself since she wasn’t exhausted yet, and offered to work on the next room of physically impaired patients, still avoiding the mentally impaired ones.
The sun moved across the sky and in the late afternoon, when light slanted across the room in dappled beams, it became harder and harder to work with her magic. She couldn’t draw much out anymore, as if she’d reached the bottom of a barrel of water and all she was getting were the leftover droplets. The fatigue worsened and she occasionally felt like leaning against the wall and sleeping.
After trying for another few minutes on the young faerie she was working on, she sighed and stood up. She didn’t like having to tell Rowena she’d have to stop, but she did have the certainty that she’d done all she could. Thinking of her upcoming journey into the Hollow to find the cure to the Soulblight, she found the energy to stand up and exit the eerily quiet room in search of Rowena.
Outside, a frigid wind wove its way through the tree branches, and she was glad she wore a cloak. She wrapped it tightly around her shoulders and walked to the next tree in the circle of infirmary rooms. Rowena wasn’t in this one. A deeper sense of hopelessness and disquiet overwhelmed her as she stepped in. In here, separated by the same sheets and ten sections as the previous rooms, were dryads, faeries, elves, gnomes and even a couple centaurs lying down on their bellies, without beds. They were healthy-looking, to an extent; all their faces were utterly blank. A few looked asleep, but most of them stared straight ahead in silence, not even looking at her when she came in. An uneasy feeling crept into her thoughts as she looked at their faces. Did they really have any hope of curing these people? She had less than a week if she wanted to come back before the attack. And even if she could cure them, how long would it take for them to recover? Was leaving here be the best thing to be doing?
“Rain! Get out of there,” Rowena called from outside, a hint of fear in her voice. Rain sighed in despair and turned around to exit the open door. Rowena stepped closer and shut it behind her. “You should stay out of that room. They’re in the same stage as Shea. They are the ones that will soon have to go back to their homes. We cannot do anything more for them.”
Rain nodded. She looked at the closed door, fear creeping into her. “I came to tell you I’m done. I don’t think I can do any more today.”
Rowena gave her a hard look. “Dear, I think you’ve worked too hard!” She gently rubbed the skin beneath Rain’s eyes. “You look desperately tired. Why don’t you head back to your room and get some sleep? I’ve already begun researching and planning your trip. I will wake you early tomorrow and if you feel ready, you can go.”
“Oh, you haven’t told anyone—”
“No, don’t you worry, it’s our secret. I can think of a few people who might agree that you should go, but it would be safest if we don’t tell them. The fewer people who know, the better.” Rowena smiled. “I should get back to work. And you should get some sleep.”
Just as the woman began walking away, a thought came to her. “Rowena, why haven’t I seen Whiskey or other helpers around? And what about your bakery?” Her voice was groggy, and she stifled a yawn.
Rowena turned back to her. “Since I saw how wonderful your healing powers were and realized he was depressed like I was, I let Whiskey leave and look into a few things he had to do, away from here. I’ve asked the other healers to let you be while you work. Don’t worry about my shop—I have a few elves willing to take over for me for a day. They understand that with my knowledge of elemental magic, I can work with herbs better than most other trained healers, and have to leave my shop for a while. Of course, I’m not anywhere as good as you at healing.” She winked. “But I shouldn’t let my tongue run away from me. Go on to your room, I’ll wake you when it’s time.”
Rain nodded and smiled in appreciation. Rowena pointed the way back to the nearest staircase, and Rain slowly made her way back to her room, eventually collapsing on the bed without even removing her shoes.
***
The next morning in the haze of waking, Rain found Rowena waiting in the main room for her, sipping tea and mulling over an old book. The day was slightly overcast, and the darkness of dawn lingered so that candlelight was still necessary to be able to read.
Rowena noticed her and smiled. “Good morning, Rain.”
“Morning,” she mumbled back. It felt too early to think clearly.
Rowena glanced back at her book. “I’ve been rereading this part of the Histories that mentions the Hollow, or rather, the door that lies within it. It hints that it could be in the very center of the Hollow.” Before she went on, she motioned for Rain to sit in a chair beside her. In front of her beside the candle on the table was a second steaming cup of tea. Rain gladly sipped it, letting the warm liquid soothe her and wake her up.
Rowena waited for her to come to her senses a bit more before continuing. She looked her straight in the eye, speaking quietly and urgently. “It could be an incredibly dangerous journey. No one quite knows what evil lurks in the Hollow.”
The door opened behind them with a click.
“What’s all this?”
She turned to see Whiskey in his bedroom doorway, clad in his nightclothes and scratching his head drowsily.
“Nothing, Deaglan, go back to sleep,” Rowena said.
“Doesn’t look like nothing,” he slurred sleepily.
“Go on, back to bed with you.” She flicked her hand in his direction and the air in front of him seemed to give him a little push backwards.
“Alright, woman. You always were insufferable.” He groggily shuffled back in his room and shut the door.
Rain held back a giggle. “Do we need a safer place to talk?”
“We don’t have much time. He should be sleeping soundly now, for a while at least. I’ll finish up quickly and you can be on your way. I’ll tell you what I know and what I’ve found recently in these books.” As Rain sipped her tea, Rowena explained how to find the way down into the Hollow; the descending stairs would likely be obscured and overgrown. “It’s a two day journey, but if you ride hard, you might make it in one. After that, all I know is you’ll need to find your way to the center. Arok’Amon, the Great Tree, houses the door. It is underground, so its entrance is likely hidden. Here, it says, ‘To travel through the Hollow door, visualize the symbol of the place you would like to go.’ I believe, since the moon elves’ symbol is the crescent moon, you should use that to visualize. To come back to Ellwood, use the design on the guards’ surcoats, a tree surrounded by woven knots.”
She paused. “The creatures in the Hollow are a mystery, but legend says they are dark and dangerous. If possible, I’d avoid sleeping there. One defense it mentions is light, so keep your lantern or a torch lit at all times. And please, do be careful,” she added quietly.
“I will,” Rain promised, taking a last sip of her tea. “Is that all? Do you know how long it will take to traverse the Hollow and find the door?”
“It’s impossible to tell. No one has returned from that place in hundreds of years.” She closed the book and sighed. “I guess you’d better get ready to go. I’ll gather provisions for you and meet you in the stables.”
“Thank you,” she said, though Rowena’s words had given her a sense of fear. Rowena nodded modestly and left the room carrying the book.
Rowena had done so much research, but none of it reassured Rain like she hoped it might. She took a deep breath and went to her room to begin packing, hurrying as the morning crept onward.
***
The overcast skies lit their way as Rowena walked Rain to the edge of the city. Morning’s light had grown to its brightest, but it was still as dim as early dawn. It felt like a bad omen, but it could have been her fears running away with her. She was reminded of the first time she left the city. This time, her survival wasn’t as certain. But she reminded herself: this was for the people of Belmaeron and Ellwood. She had to save them before Myrna overtook all of them with the Soulblight.
“You’re sure you don’t even know what sort of form the cure will take?” she asked Rowena.
“I’m sorry, dear. I don’t have a clue. The only hint we have to a cure is in your prophecy.” She stopped moving. They were at the outer edge of the city, where the outermost guards were stationed, hidden in the trees. “This is as far as I should go. I have to go back to the infirmary today.” She grasped Rain’s hand firmly in her own. “You can do it. I know you can.”
“What will they do to you if they find out you helped me?” Rain wondered aloud.
She smiled. “Don’t worry about it, there are people who will understand and see our side of things.” She turned her attention to the saddlebags on Pan’s back. “Do you have all the torch makings I told you to gather? It will be vitally important that you have a source of light when traveling through the Hollow.”
“Yes, I have it all.” Looking at Rowena’s worried face, it struck her that she might not ever see her again. She took a deep breath to keep herself calm. “Goodbye, Rowena. Thank you for everything.”
Rowena’s nod was deep enough to be a bow. Rain then swung herself onto Pan’s saddle and turned around to face the road ahead. With Rowena’s directions in mind, she kicked Pan into a fast gait and left Belmaeron and the people she loved and cared for behind.
***
The day wore on in uneasy silence, the overcast skies keeping the forest dim. She stopped twice to eat a bit of the food Rowena packed for her and to rest Pan, as he was riding at a rather fast trot. Midday, or close to it, as she couldn’t tell with the sun hidden behind the clouds, she decided to make her first stop. She found a sturdy log to sit on and a small stream nearby, and after feeding Pan a few oats and letting him drink, she searched through her bags for food for herself.
She found one of the Ellwood apples and a block of cheese. With her dagger, she carefully cut a piece of cheese and then sat on the log to eat. The cheese was salty with a bit of a nutty taste, and the apple was just as crisp and sweet as she remembered them to be. She tried focusing her thoughts on the food rather than thinking about where she was going and why.
The food was gone before she knew it. “Okay, Shea, time to—” she looked around her briefly at the empty forest and felt utterly foolish at her slip. A sense of how alone she really was stole over her, and she forced tears back. She’d give anything to have him here, sharing food and conversation. But she supposed that was exactly what she was doing; finding a way for him to be his usual self again. This journey she had to do alone—on behalf of him.
Those thoughts finally helped her get herself together and start off down the path again. If the knowledge that she’d be helping hundreds of people and their families wasn’t enough, she’d do it for him.
***
She stopped again to rest after a few hours, and soon after setting off, with Pan’s fast pace, she reached the cliffs. Pulling up the reins, she slowed Pan to a walk and headed along the edge to the southeast, scouting through the thick brush along the drop off. Rowena had warned that the staircase that descended into the Hollow was most likely overgrown, and she had to look carefully so she didn’t miss it. She didn’t know how many miles she’d have to go along the edge until she found it—that was the tricky part.
“Hello there!” a high-pitched, childlike voice said.
Rain pulled up the reins sharply in surprise. “Who’s there?” she looked around but couldn’t see anyone.
“Up here, silly.”
She looked up into the limbs of the thin trees that lined the edge of the cliff, searching for signs of movement.
“Where—”
“Here!” A tiny creature appeared in the tree, swinging from a thin branch. It appeared to be a tiny girl, only a few inches tall, wearing a dress of bright green leaves. Long, bright blonde hair hung nearly to her knees. She expected such a small creature to have wings, but she had none, and instead moved with an acrobat’s grace. She swung again and jumped down, landing gracefully on Pan’s neck. He didn’t seem to notice.
“What—who are you?” Rain asked, genuinely curious.
The little girl sat down and put her hands on her hips. “I’m Caemira. A wood sprite.” Her face had a playful, curious expression. “Who and what are you?” she asked, as if it were her question in the first place.
“Rain, and I’m a… moon elf.” It was strange to say it so bluntly.
Caemira blinked, confused. “Well I don’t know what that is, but it’s nice to meet you.” She grinned. “Where are you going?”
Her direct questions were almost refreshing, but she remembered to be careful. “I’m trying to find my way down to the Hollow.”
Caemira frowned. “Why would you want to go there? It’s dark.”
A tingle went down Rain’s spine. She somehow knew the sprite wasn’t just talking about the absence of light.
“I’m searching for something.”
Her eyes widened. “Arok’Amon, the Great Tree?”
“Well, yes.” Rain looked at her curiously. “How did you know?”
She giggled. “The trees have been talking about you for days. They’re expecting you.”
Rain frowned. “The trees?”
“Of course, the trees.” She turned around so she sat facing away from her, toward the path ahead. “Keep going, I’ll show you the way down. It’s not a happy place, but you are important.”
Rain nudged Pan and he started walking. “Important?”
Caemira turned her head back to look her in the eye. “Yes, don’t you know?” she turned back around. “You must know.”
“Know what?”
“I don’t know,” she giggled, her laugh like the tinkling of a bell. “But if you are important, I’m sure you know. How could someone be important without knowing?”
She shook her head at the sprite’s logic. “Alright, then, show me the way down into the Hollow.”
***
Caemira led her further along the edge of the cliffs, with the immense trees of Ellwood to their left and thin trees and undergrowth shielding them on their right from the steep drop off. The little sprite chattered about how to listen to the trees, excited to share her knowledge with someone.
“All you have to do is be quiet and listen. It does help if you put a hand on the tree trunk, or sit on the ground near it. I can hear them chatter all the time, but that’s probably because I’m a wood sprite.” She giggled merrily.
“Do wood sprites often help travelers?” Rain asked.
“If the traveler can use the help we can give, of course.” She was silent for a moment. “Strange things have been happening lately. Scary things. I see animals with the Soulblight roaming around, attacking innocent creatures. None of it makes sense.” She turned around to give her a brief smile. “But you’re here to change that. I can feel it. I’m truly honored to be helping you.” She laughed happily again, turning from serious thought to playful joy in a heartbeat.
“I don’t really know what I’m doing. I don’t know if I will succeed, either. This could all be for nothing.” Depression seeped into her like a cold fog.
“I believe in you!” she said enthusiastically, and Rain laughed along with her, whether from happiness or to keep from crying, she wasn’t sure.
After a few minutes, the sprite pointed to their right. “Just there, between those two big rocks.”
Rain looked and saw two boulders that sat about knee-height, set five feet apart. This part of the cliff was less steep, and as they approached the boulders, she saw the path switchbacked down into darkness. The sun hadn’t quite reached the horizon, but she felt uneasy about entering the Hollow so close to nighttime. The thick forest below was already dark and gloomy.
“There it is,” Rain said.
The sprite looked uneasy. “I can’t come with you down there. It’s not safe.”
“No, I’m sure it isn’t,” Rain said as she fingered the string of her bow that hung across her chest.
After a moment of uneasy silence, Caemira looked at her. “You don’t have to go down there tonight, do you? You could rest up here and go in the morning.” She grinned. “Then I could tell you more about the forest.”
“Don’t you have a home to go back to?” Rain asked, worried that she had a family wondering where she was.
The sprite’s face withered and she wondered if she’d said the wrong thing. “My friends and family are gone. We lived with the trees in the northeast. A strange sickness swept through my people. We aren’t strong enough to withstand it, like some apparently are. I was traveling for a time on my own, as sprites do when they come of age. They find homes of their own. When I went back to visit my family, they were gone.”
“I’m so sorry, Caemira,” she said, and held out her hand to let her sit on it, hoping it would bring her some comfort.
The sprite hoisted herself up into Rain’s palm and sat cross-legged, facing her. “It’s part of life,” she said matter-of-factly. “I had to move on some day, and I suppose that’s just what happened.” Rain was amazed at how well the little creature handled her grief.
“You know, I think I will set up camp here, tonight. Why don’t you come with me, and I can at least give you some food, as thanks for your help,” she offered.
“Great!” Her face lit up. “I saw a place over there.” She pointed back into the woods to their left.
With her free hand, she led Pan to a trio of huge trees with a small clearing between them. She lowered her hand, careful not to fall of the saddle, and Caemira gracefully leapt the last few feet to the ground. The sprite scampered up one of the trees to watch as Rain pulled out her blanket roll, food, and water for both of them, plus the horse. She decided to go without a fire and eat the fresh food in the pack instead, pulling out another apple, half a loaf of bread, and a few strips of dried meat. She planned to share whatever the sprite wanted.
After quickly taking off Pan’s saddle and tack, giving him water, and feeding him, she lay out her blanket and sat on it, then patted the space next to her, inviting Caemira to join her.
The sprite quickly came down the tree and sat next to her, eyeing the food hungrily. “Do you like any of this food?” she asked, realizing what she had to eat might not be suitable for someone as small as Caemira.
She pointed at the bread. “I love bread. I don’t get to have it very often, foraging the forest as I usually do.”
Rain nodded and picked up the loaf, breaking it up into large crumbs, each of them ending up nearly as big as Caemira’s head. The sprite took a crumb and started nibbling on it, and Rain tore off a piece for herself, following suit.
“I’m sorry you have to go down there,” Caemira said after a few bites.
Rain swallowed and studied her face for a moment. “Do you know any more about what’s down there?”
The sprite looked over at the distant path leading into the Hollow. “I know it’s dark. The things inside love darkness. They probably wouldn’t like light, though, so make sure to take a light with you.”
“Yes, I will. I have the ingredients for a torch.” She pointed to her saddlebags.
“Don’t let it go out! Even in the daytime,” she asserted. “I haven’t dared travel there, but it’s obvious from observing the entrance that it’s dark even during the day.”
“How dark?” Rain wondered.
“Darker than the darkest night.”
They were silent for a moment, and the hairs at the back of Rain’s neck stood on end. At first it seemed to be from their conversation, but the sensation continued as if someone was watching them. She searched the surrounding darkening woods for movement.
“I think you’d better make your torch now,” Caemira said warily. “Even being this far from the entrance to the Hollow is dangerous.”
Rain nodded and stood up carefully and quietly, the whole time feeling nervous. After a quick look around the immediate area, she found a sturdy, thick branch on the ground. Her hands shook as she soaked a spare cloth in a tin of tree sap.
When the torch was ready to be lit, she clutched a piece of flint from her bag and struggled to strike it with the steel. Her hands would not stop shaking. After a few tries and no success, she stuffed the flint and steel back in her bag in frustration. She ran her hands through her hair, thinking.
Suddenly she remembered she could use magic, and almost laughed at how she wasn’t yet used to having powers. As she held her empty hand above the cloth at the head of the torch, she pictured a flame in her mind’s eye, letting energy flow through her hand. Her hand grew warm and orange light seeped from her skin, flowing outwards and spiraling around the wet cloth. It congealed at the top of the thick branch, and fire flared to life.
A piercing cry banished any thought of success. She spun around, searching the tree branches for the source of the sound. A raven stared back at her, cawing noisily. Every cry sent a bolt of fear through her, and she nearly dropped the torch. She stood up and tried to find somewhere to put the torch so she could shoot the bird.
“No time for that! Run!” Caemira whispered, already seated on Pan’s neck. “Get away! This isn’t a good sign.” At her urging, Rain instead hurriedly put away her blanket and leftover food with her free hand.
“Where to?” she asked as she mounted, holding the torch in one hand and the reins in the other.
“Down,” Caemira said ominously.
“Into the Hollow? But I thought it was more dangerous at night.” Rain didn’t need to prod Pan before he hurried away from the raven in the tree.
“If a raven doesn’t attack you, it’s announcing your location to others,” the sprite explained. “You can’t trust a raven anymore. Nearly all of them have been tainted by the Soulblight.” Rain looked at her skeptically and glanced back at the noisy raven.
Cawing sounds began to come from far away in every direction, growing louder by the second. The sprite gasped. “Do you want to be pecked to death?!” Caemira nearly shrieked. “Hurry up! They won’t follow you into the Hollow.” Rain kicked Pan’s side and sent him into a scrambling trot.
When they reached the cliff edge, she stopped.
“Go on, then, I don’t want to put you in danger. Thank you for your help,” Rain said, urging Caemira to escape to the trees. “I’m sure they were alerted to my presence by my use of magic. They won’t chase you.”
“No, I’m going with you. You need help.” She smiled. “And you have good food.”
“Alright,” Rain smiled briefly back at her, wondering that the sprite could find something to grin about at a time like this. She didn’t have time to argue, so she nudged the reluctant Pan forward, down the path that switchbacked into the darkness below.